The 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Adventures

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach*a Heartland Indie Bestseller*, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk*winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award*, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

The primary purpose of Moosewatch Expeditions on Isle Royale is to locate moose bones and carry them back to the scientists.

On this year's hike, our team found something unique: an entire moose skeleton that fit in a jar.

Rolf Peterson holds the "Moose in a Jar"

We found these tiny bones on a hillside near Dustin Lake. They were near a large ant hill and had all been meticulously cleaned...presumably by the hard working ants.

Tiny bones...

It took us some time to figure out what creature these bones were from. They were not fully ossified, so we wondered if they were avian...or some small mammal.

But then we found a tooth.

Tiny tooth

It was a molar from a herbivore, and there is only one herbivore on Isle Royale...

MOOSE.

Tiny MOOSE bones

We deducted that this was a moose miscarriage, one that happened during the winter, of a fetus still a few months shy of fully formed.

Adult moose molar next to the fetal molar

Fetal bone

A bull moose skull can weigh around 10 pounds. If the antlers are attached, it can weigh over 20 pounds. It was amusing to present Dr. Peterson with this unique find: a moose in a jar.

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach*a Heartland Indie Bestseller*, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk*winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award*, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

This year I hiked my third Moosewatch Expedition on Isle Royale. I was on a wonderful team led by Chris Woeltje from Illinois.

This wildlife study draws people from all over the US...and the WORLD.

I've hiked alongside people from many states (IL, OK, WI, MI, MN, CO), and from a couple of other countries (Costa Rica and Canada).

This year we had our basecamp on the shores of Lake Superior for part of the week. We pitched our tents near Little Greenstone Beach on the southern edge of Isle Royale.

Here are some photos from this special place:

The moon shines through the birch trees

Flecks of native copper within a stone

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach*a Heartland Indie Bestseller*, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk*winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award*, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

Isle Royale has a mixture of trees, conifers and deciduous of many types.

Trees (and me) on Isle Royale

The jack pine grows here, unique because its pinecones are tightly closed.

jack pine pinecones

close shot of pinecones

And they only open when burned.

The jack pine cone opens when burned, releasing the seeds within

During Moosewatch in 2014, my team hiked through an area of the island that burned many years ago. The area was still recovering. Ash was still present on the ground in places.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach*a Heartland Indie Bestseller*, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk*winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award*, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

On this windy, cool day, I took one last training hike before heading to Isle Royale to be part of a Moosewatch Expedition.

The misty view from the top of the Empire Bluff Trail

It was in the high 30s, windy and rainy. Perfect weather to train for Isle Royale!

:::ENGAGE LOREEN AS SPEAKER::::

Author & Adventurer Loreen Niewenhuis delivers dynamic presentations from each of her Great Lakes Adventures.

Many diverse venues have engaged her as a speaker including universities, libraries, clubs, schools, REI stores, senior centers, conferences, and museums.

Environmental organizations have also engaged her as a speaker including the Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, and North Country Trail groups. She was a featured author at the Kerrytown BookFest and a speaker at Tedx Kalamazoo.

She has four presentations to choose from:

~~LAKE MICHIGAN ADVENTURE~~

~~OUR MAJESTIC GREAT LAKES~~

~~ISLANDS OF THE GREAT LAKES~~

~~ISLE ROYALE: WILDERNESS ISLAND~~

Praise for Loreen's Presentations:

"Loreen took our audience on an adventure that was engaging, educational, and entertaining. We were fortunate to have found her. I'm sure future speaking engagements will result from her impressive performance at the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus meeting."

--Lisa Janario, Program Director of The Council of State Governments

"We had rave reviews for Loreen's talk. She is extremely knowledgeable about all things to do with the Great Lakes and her presentation was most informative and entertaining. Quite the best we've ever had!"

--Diana Howbert, Grosse Pointe Public Library

"Loreen translates her passion for our Great Lakes into advocacy, education, science, humor, and beauty by taking listeners and readers with her on these GREAT adventures. Her five-city speaking blitz awed and inspired Indiana conservationists with the importance of preserving and protecting our Great Lakes. Loreen's adventures are truly amazing!"

--Martha Bolyard, former Assoc. Dir. of Philanthropy at The Nature Conservancy of Indiana

To inquire about engaging Loreen Niewenhuis as a speaker, please email her at: LakeTrek@gmail.com

Great Lakes Speaker [click on photo to learn more]

“Loreen is a great speaker: funny, informative, approachable, and so interesting…she even makes geology fascinating! She’s been featured in the Detroit Free Press, Chicago Sun Times, and Country Woman Magazine. I highly recommend her.” --------- Colleen Leddy, Head Librarian , Stair Public Library

NEW RELEASE: Audiobook Edition of third book in trilogy

All three books are now available as audiobooks. CLICK on image to learn more.

NEW eBOOK RELEASE: Best Lake Michigan Hikes

Top-selling eBook on topic of "Walking." Only 99 cents. Click image now

Audiobook Edition of first book in trilogy

Click image now

CONTACT AUTHOR

The book about Loreen's first hike is A 1,000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH. It spent time on the Heartland Indie Bestseller List and won the Best Non-Fiction Beach Book from The Beach Book Festival.

The book about her second hike touching all five Great Lakes is titled A 1,000-MILE GREAT LAKES WALK. This book won the "Great Lakes Great Reads Award" given by independent bookstores in the Midwest.

Her latest adventure transported her off the shoreline to many of the islands of the Great Lakes. The third book in this series -- A 1,000-MILE GREAT LAKES ISLAND ADVENTURE -- was long-listed for the Chautauqua Literary Prize.

Crickhollow Booksof Milwaukee has published these books about Loreen's Great Lakes Adventures.

Look for her books wherever books are sold. Shop at your local indie bookstore!